In recent years, a variety of flat panel displays have been developed. In particular, from the viewpoints of achieving low power consumption, thinning, high image quality, and the like, organic (Electroluminescent) EL display devices have attracted significant attention as excellent flat panel displays.
In the manufacturing process of such organic EL display devices, in many cases a separately patterning vapor deposition method is used to form a vapor deposition film that includes a high-definition light emitting layer on a substrate.
When such a separately patterning vapor deposition method is used to carry out a vapor deposition, there can be problems where, when the separately patterning vapor deposition mask and the substrate on which the vapor deposition film is formed are completely adhered to one another when the vapor deposition is performed, then defects may occur in the vapor deposition film after the vapor deposition when separating the separately patterning vapor deposition mask from the substrate. Explaining specifically by way of example, first, after forming a red light-emitting layer on a substrate using a separately patterning vapor deposition mask for forming a red light-emitting layer, in the case where a green light-emitting layer is formed on the substrate by using a separately patterning vapor deposition mask for forming a green light-emitting layer in which an opening is formed at a position different from the separately patterning vapor deposition mask for forming the red light-emitting layer, when the vapor deposition and the substrate on which the red light-emitting layer are completed adhered to one another and vapor deposition is performed, the non-opening portion of the separately patterning vapor deposition mask for forming the green light-emitting layer is in direct contact with the red light-emitting layer on the substrate, such that defects may occur in the red light-emitting layer when separating the separately patterning vapor deposition mask for forming the green light-emitting layer from the substrate.
In order to solve such problems, the following attempts have been made thus far.
FIGS. 18A and 18B are diagrams for explaining a case in which edge covers 108a and 108b having different heights are formed in the same active matrix substrate 100, and the active matrix substrate 100 and the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 101 do not completely adhere to one another as a result of the tall height of the edge cover 108b. 
As illustrated in FIG. 18A, an edge cover 108b with a tall height is provided on the surface of the active matrix substrate 100 opposing the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 101, a constant distance can be maintained due to the edge cover 108 such that the active matrix substrate 100 and the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 101 do not completely adhere to one another.
In a state where the active matrix substrate 100 and the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 101 are maintained at a constant distance, the vapor deposition particles emitted from a vapor deposition source (not shown) may be formed in a predetermined shape on the active matrix substrate 100 via the opening 103 of the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 101.
FIG. 18B is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the active matrix substrate 100.
As illustrated in the figures, the active matrix substrate 100 may have a configuration in which a TFT element 105, an interlayer insulating film 106 which is a flattening film, an electrode 107, and edge covers 108a and 108b are provided on a substrate 104.
The primary role of the edge covers (also referred to as banks) is to be formed so as to cover the end portion of the electrode 107 in order to prevent vapor deposition films such as the light emitting layers from being thinly formed at the end portion of the electrode 107 and prevent short circuits from occurring between the electrode 107 and the opposing electrode (not shown). Then, considering that a shared layer (for example, an electrode layer opposing the electrode 107) is formed in a level shape in a subsequent process, it is difficult to form the height of the edge cover to be greater than or equal to a predetermined height.
Accordingly, in the active matrix substrate 100, the edge cover formed at the boundary of the active area in which the plurality of electrodes 107 are regularly formed may be an edge cover 108b with a tall height (a height of 2 μm), and the edge cover formed within the active area may be an edge cover 108a with a low height (a height of 1 μm).
By using the active matrix substrate 100 when performing vapor deposition with the separately patterning vapor deposition method, as the active matrix substrate 100 and the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 101 can be maintained at a constant distance by the edge cover 108b so as not to completely adhere to one another, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the vapor deposition film such as the light-emitting layer or the like when separating the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 101 from the active matrix substrate 100.
In addition, PTL1 describes a configuration in which a protrusion is provided on the side of a separately patterning vapor deposition mask.
FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 201 disclosed in PTL1.
As illustrated in the figure, the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 201 includes a mask body 202 and a frame body 203, and on a surface of the mask body 202 opposite to the substrate on which the vapor deposition film is to be formed, protrusions 205 are formed between openings 204 adjacent in the vertical direction of the figure.
By using the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 201 when vapor deposition is carried out using the separately patterning vapor deposition method, as the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 201 and the substrate on which the vapor deposition film is to be formed can be prevented from completely adhering to one another, it is disclosed that it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the vapor deposition film such as the light-emitting layer or the like when separating the separately patterning vapor deposition mask 201 from the substrate on which the vapor deposition film is formed.